Beneath the Skin
by Monkeybarrel
Summary: Not all dirt can be washed off just as not all scars can remain hidden. Hakkai, Sanzou, and Gojou bare more than skin one night in the bath.
1. Beneath the Skin

Disclaimer:  Minekura Kazuya owns all that is Saiyuki.  Well…at least this version of it.  Moral of the story is that I don't own any version, not even the really old one where Hakkai is really a pig.  

Warnings:  Swearing, spoilers for vol.7 of the manga, and second season of the anime.    

Beneath the skin

Bouzu made it pretty plain from the start of this whole "West Quest" thing that at whatever inn or temple or whatever we stopped at that had indoor plumbing, he had first dibs on the bath.  No if, ands, or buts.  Hey, buts…butts…baths…heh heh…good one, Gojou.

That's always the way with the monk though.  All preachy and mighty and me first.  Hi, I'm Sanzou.  I have this mark, see, right here smack on my fuckin' forehead, and this mark, see, makes it so I'm waaaaaaaay above all you other people so that means I get to sit up front with Hakkai, and look like I'm smelling a bad fart all day long.  That, and always _always the first fuckin' bath, no matter whoever stinks worse.  _

'Course this time, it was Hakkai who stunk the worst.  Poor Hakkai was covered with shit, blood and guts, and…other stuff I don't even want to know about.  Even before Sanzou started to make his "I'm going to go bathe now so fuck off" face, Hakkai was halfway to the door, halfway out with his shit and his blood and his guts.  The innkeeper's face was classic though, when Hakkai asked in his always Hakkai way, "Excuse me.  Where would I find the bath?"  There he was, all covered with crap, and still polite enough to meet your mom.  Then off he went.  Didn't even ask bouzu.

I thought we'd just go upstairs then.  Goku was next to useless.  Kid was falling asleep on his feet.  But Sanzou gave me his "I'm going to go bathe now so fuck off" face, and headed after Hakkai. 

"Oi, Hakkai's in there now."  I yelled.  

"Was I not in the room just now?  I know he's there.  I'm going in too."

"But you hate being with other people.  You always say that."

"Yeah, but Hakkai's not me."  Sanzou turned and started to leave.  "You of all people should know that."  

I knew that.  What the fuck's he talking about?  "What the fuck you talking about?"  

Bouzu gave me his usual glare and pointed at Goku.  "Get him upstairs before he falls and breaks something and we have to pay for it."  Then he was out the door.  The innkeeper yelled something after like, something about, "being too small for two."  I don't know.  I was too pissed to listen.  Too pissed to do anything but pick Goku up and drag him to our room and drop him on the bed.  Kid was gone.  But then, we all were.  It was a pretty fucking awful day.  

"Oi," I poke him, and he rolls over.  "You're gonna be sore if you sleep in your armor and shit." 

"S'okay…" is all he says.  His voice is muffled underneath him.       

"Not if I have to hear it in the morning."  I dump his bag by his bed.  "Get changed then hit the hay like a normal person."  

He started to get up then.  He removed his shoulder armor, then his shirt, all really slow and sleepy.  I just kept pacing the room which was pretty easy since it was so friggen' small.  Four strides one way, four strides back, and then four back again.  I didn't know why I felt the sudden need to circle the room.  Just felt like it, so I did it.  

"What's wrong with you?"  Saru asked.  He was pulling on his T-shirt, and was doing a bang-up job with his arm hanging out the hole for the head.  

"What's wrong with you?"  I ask back.  I take his shirt and pull it off.  "Just…hold you head still for crying out loud."  For once he does something I ask without yelling back.  I slip it over his head and then hold up the sleeves.  "See these things?  You put your arms through them."  

He gives me this cross-eyed look.  "I know that."  And to prove his great dressing know-how, he shoots his arm through, and doing so, smacks me in the face.

"…wari, Gojou."  He looks down.  

He did look sorry, sorry and sleepy.  I just rub my cheek and throw him his shorts.  "If ya can't figure out those, yer outta luck, got it?"  Saru just nods and works at his pants.  

"So, what's wrong with you?"  He asks again. 

"Nothing's wrong…"  I stop pacing and make a face at the door.  "I just want to take a bath and go to bed, but I just have to wait till the others are done."

"Just go."  Goku slipped on his shorts.  

"I have to wait until they're done."

Goku just shrugs and lies back down.  "Just go.  You stink."  

"I stink?  Listen you-" I turn around, but then just stop.  The kid was useless.  He was already asleep. 

"Well, you know what?"  I said, pointing to the snoring saru, "you- you- "  Dammit, I was tired.  I can't even fucking name-call Goku.  I need to go to bed.  

I did stink though.  I felt it all over.  Stink and blood and just…sore.  

Just go.  

Fine.  I'll go.  

I grab my towel and sponge.  Just me, myself, and mine.  

And if he ain't done yet, well, too bad so sad.  


	2. Beneath the Skin - 2

Disclaimer – Still don't own it. 

Beneath the Skin 2

Sanzou lifted the wash cloth out of the water and held it to his face for a moment, breathing in the warmth, pressing the damp cloth against his cheeks.  Gently, he rubbed the cloth across his face, mixing the warm water with the sweat beads starting to build as he sat in the hot bath.  He dragged his hand through his hair, brushing the dripping strands from his forehead and sat back against the tiles.  The tiles above the water were surprisingly cool to the skin on his back, and the coolness above with heat below made for a comforting contrast.  He closed his eyes, and sighed, allowing his own breath to mix in with the steam, and stretched out his legs, only to have the tops of his feet hit the other side of the tub.  He cracked open an eye and peered across the bath.  He let one foot float to the top of the water, and gingerly touched the other side.         

The Inn's bath was small, probably big enough to fit two and offer a little comfortable space between.  With two though, he couldn't lay stretched out as he was now.  He would have to tuck in his legs or sit on them.  He grimaced and contemplated getting out, since Hakkai would be done washing soon, but the water felt nice against his skin, and his strained muscles were slowly relaxing.  He gave a sideways glance over to Hakkai who was sitting on a small stool, still scrubbing away at his skin.  Sanzou watched as Hakkai methodically washed up one arm and then down the other, and then began the process again, scrubbing with soap then pouring the bucket of warm water slowly over, washing the suds away.  Sanzou turned back to his foot still bobbing in the water, considering his options.  He and Hakkai had bathed enough together for each to know the other's routine.  Sanzou always finished first.  Hakkai always took his time.  "He's still at his arms," Sanzo thought dimly, "I have time.  After arms is chest, than back, legs…"  He leaned his head back against the tiles.  No rush yet to get out. 

"Today was little rough, wasn't it?"  Even though his back was turned from Sanzou, Hakkai's voice echoed off the tiles, and his statement although small, seemed to surround them both.  

A little rough was putting what happened today a little lightly.  "Just say it sucked, Hakkai.  No one will disagree with you."  

"Well…"  Hakkai held the bucket still over his arm for a moment, thinking.  "It didn't completely…suck, as you say.  We did make it out alright.  A little worse for wear, but alright more or less."

Sanzou snorted.  "We ride over a trap.  We go over a cliff in the jeep.  Youkai ambush at the bottom.  The kappa gets stabbed in the leg.  Bakazaru falls into a pit.  I got tossed halfway down the ravine-"

"You should wear your seatbelt."  Hakkai said.

"And you," Sanzou said pointing, "get hit with not one, not two, but five arrows.  I feel totally confident that today falls into the Completely Sucked category."  

"How's your ankle, by the way?"  Hakkai glanced over from the wall.  He had taken off his eye glass and his good eye squinted though the steam.  

"Fine now, thanks to you."  Sanzou rolled his foot in a half circle.  He still felt a little pain, a low throb, but nothing compared to earlier when he hit the ground from a fifteen foot drop and then rolled down the cliff until he was able to grab onto a something to hold on to.  "We're all fine now because of you.  How's your shoulder?"

Hakkai rubbed his left shoulder slowly, where he had been hit with three of the five arrows.  "Still there.  Still works."  He went back to washing his arms.

"You know, if you keep that up, you're going to clean all your skin off."  

Hakkai turned towards the bath to where Sanzou was giving him a look that was half-way to glare, half-way to something else.  He turned back to his left arm which was currently scrubbing and squinted.  His skin was getting a light red color.  "I see.  It just…seems a little more difficult today to clean everything off."  

Sanzou narrowed his eyes as Hakkai just stared at his reddening skin.  This wasn't about dirt.  The monk understood that.    

By the time he had reached the others from where he had fallen after the jeep went over the cliff, Sanzou had found a complete massacre.  Hakkai, with Goku down a hole and Gojou keeled over, had faced over thirty youkai on his own.  Sanzou had finally cleared the brush to find him dripping in blood, kneeling by Gojou and looking at the half-youkai's leg wound.  

"What happened?"  Sanzou had stopped and put his gun down.  There was obviously no need for it.

"When the jeep finally stopped…they all just jumped out at us."  Hakkai was bending over, placing his hands on Gojou's thigh, a low light emanating.   "Goku ran ahead to block, but they had set another trap."  He nodded towards the hole not ten feet away.  "He's all right but we'll need the rope from the jeep to pull him out.  Gojou got hit almost instantly, but I don't think it's poisoned and…"

"No.  What _happened?"  Sanzou turned back to Hakkai and waved towards the bodies.  Hakkai looked back down at Gojou whose own eyes were closed.  Hakkai slowly lifted his bloodied hand to his ear and tapped his limiter.  _

"All of them?"  

Hakkai nodded.  "I didn't see another way."

Sanzou turned and let out a slow whistle.  "You didn't see that one coming, did you?"  There was no response from the dead strewn about.  

"Neither did Gojou."  Hakkai started to lift Gojou up, but stumbled.  It was then that Sanzou noticed that part of the blood on him was actually his own.  A small arrow still lay partly embedded in Hakkai's shoulder.  Sanzou scowled and limped over, lifting Gojou's other arm.  

"Your leg?"  Hakkai's voice was filled with concern.  

"I don't want to hear it."  Sanzou gritted his teeth and lifted.  "You're fucking bleeding.  I'll get him in the jeep.  Just worry about yourself for a god damn second."  

"But Goku…"

Sanzou glowered and turned his head towards the hole.  "Bakazaru!  Are you dead?"  

"…No!"  Goku's voice sounded strained.  "What's going on?"

"Just…sit still!"  Sanzou yelled back and then started back to the jeep.  "You're pretty fucking heavy for a kappa," he breathed.  Suddenly the weight was lighter and he turned to see Hakkai on the other side, lifting Gojou's arm over his shoulder.   "I told you to-"

"All better."  Hakkai smiled.  "Just takes a moment."  He's was out of breath though, Sanzou noticed.  He was smiling, but his eyes were weary.  He couldn't hide it.  

They had carried Gojou back, pulled Goku out, and Hakkai had healed them all as well as he could, and then fell asleep in the back as Gojou drove onto the road and into town.  

Sanzou turned to the back and saw Goku staring at Hakkai sleeping, his golden eyes wide.  

"What's your problem?"  Sanzo asked.

"Did you guys see it?"  Goku looked over at him.  "When he- he changed?"

"…nah…"  Gojou didn't turn around but kept driving.  "I got conked out pretty quick.  Stupid fuckin' youkai.  What were they doing anyway?"

"Trying to kill us.  I thought it was pretty obvious."  Sanzou looked back at Goku.  "Did you see him change this time?"

Goku shook his head.  "I just heard it…but I saw it once before.  You know, in that place that Kami-sama had made?"  Sanzou nodded, and Goku continued.  "He just takes it off, and does all this stuff, and puts it back on."  He pointed to the limiter clasped to Hakkai's ear.  "In the hole I couldn't do anything.  Just listen.  It was just- just…he's just…" He clenched his fists, thinking, "Really strong."

"He's fucking cool so don't you forget it."  Gojou turned to point at him and then went back to driving.  

"I know that!"  Goku started to get up.  Sanzou pushed him back down.  

"Sit.  We need another accident like you need _another hole in your head."_

"I don't have a hole in my head!"

"Ba-ka, whaddya using to talk to with?"  Gojou gave him a swap at his head.  

"That's not a hole!"  Goku's voice was rising.  Sanzou's harisen was halfway out when all three heard a grunt from the back.

"…what's…going…"  Hakkai mumbled and started to lift himself up.

"Oi, just…lay back, Hakkai."  Gojou glared at Goku and mouthed "shut up."  Goku made a face and sat back.  Hakkai gave them all a bleary look and laid down again.  

            They were silent the rest of the way into town.

Sanzou's thoughts were interrupted as the still water was disturbed.  He looked up to see Hakkai slowly entering the bath.  Sanzou brought his foot down and tucked both beneath him.  He must have been lost in thought for awhile to not notice Hakkai finishing.  

Hakkai pulled his knees up to his chest and they both sat there against the tile, letting the silence and steam just rest there.  

Hakkai still had his eye glass off, and without it, he had this somewhat lost squinting look in his eyes, and he would turn his head when talking to you since he favored his left over the damaged right.  Both were closed now, and to Sanzou, he almost looked asleep as he sat there, still and silent.  His shoulders were a little red though from scrubbing, and they shone a light pink in the glow of the lamps.

Sanzou was tossing between getting out or saying something.  He finally went with the latter.  

"Was it hard to control it?"  

He didn't need to clarify.  He knew what Hakkai was dwelling about.  He could read it in his face, in the taunt line his mouth was making, in the small folds of skin that was bunching up between his brows.  

Hakkai didn't answer immediately.  When he spoke, his voice was low and strange sounding.  "…Yes.  Yes it was."  

Sanzou looked at him.  Hakkai's eyes were still closed, but he continued.  

"I heard you coming.  In my mind, I could tell even then, as I was just…ripping them apart that something was off.  I could hear you coming, and could tell you were having trouble walking.  A part of me turned to that and knew it would be easy."

"Easy?"  Sanzou's eyes hardened.

"But a bigger part of me, the part that was trying to shield Gojou and look in at Goku, and…it was so afraid of that other part, that "it would be easy" part that I could feel the ground again, and my hands reaching for the cuffs, and then putting them back on.  But it took a minute because my hands were shaking…It took a minute to put them back on."  

"I see."  

The silence fell again.  

"What would you have done?"  Hakkai turned his head, his left eye open.

"Done with what?"  Sanzou tried shifting his feet which were falling asleep.

"What would you have done if you saw the "it would be easy" part?"

Sanzou was silent for a moment and then leaned forward, cracking his back.  He turned to respond, when the bathroom door flew open.  Both turned to look.

"Fucking takin' yer time!"  Gojou yelled as he sauntered in naked, a small towel around his neck, a sponge in hand.  

Sanzou glared.  "There's no room.  There's barely enough for the two of us."  

"Well, boo-hoo, Bouzu,"  Gojou sat his ass on the bucket.  "Get out or move over.  That's the motto for tonight."  

With that said, he switched on the taps.  


	3. Beneath the Skin - Finale

Disclaimer – (looks at empty hands)  …still don't own it…

Beneath the Skin - Finale

Gojou sat on the bucket, and did a quick job of cleaning.  Sanzou tried to ignore him.  What Hakkai had said before was still on his mind, but the feeling of the room was now different, like the bit of coolness that Gojou let in for that second the door was open changed everything.  His muscles were tightening again, as were his nerves.  He leaned back against the tiles.  Well, if the kappa wanted to get in, he would have to wait.  He wasn't done yet.  

Hakkai, as always, was the one that built bridges.  'How's Goku?"  

"Dead to the world."  Gojou poured the bucket down his front.  "Kid could barely change.  I'm pretty whipped too though so I just…didn't want to wait any longer."  

"It's all right.  I was getting out soon anyways."  To emphasize his point, Hakkai wrung out his wet cloth outside the bath.

"You just got in."  Sanzou gave him a pointed look.

"But, as you said before, I'm pretty clean now so-"

"So, don't either of you guys worry about it."  Gojou was already by the side of the bath, stepping in.  "Just scoot over, Bouzu, and we'll all fit.  All happy and close-like."

"Is that what you think we are?"  Sanzou shifted over as Gojou climbed in.  Now all three sat there, side by side.

"Nah, but play nice for the kids, will you, dear?"  Gojou gave him a sweet smile from the other side of Hakkai.  

Sanzou just snorted and sat back.  Wonderful.  "Goku's asleep right?"  

"Sawin' logs."  

"Well, at least it can't get any worse."  Sanzou grumbled and brought the washcloth back to his face.

"This isn't bad though…"  Hakkai let his head drop back against the wall.    

Gojou turned his head to his friend.  Hakkai's eyes were closed.  He looked really…peaceful.  His hair was slicked back with a few strands springing free.  Hakkai brought a hand to his face, feeling his jaw, and water drops slid down his arm and neck.  Gojou just watched lazily.  It was too warm to think.  Just sitting here was nice.  Here, and Hakkai and…his eyes narrowed.  "You missed a spot."

"What?"  Hakkai turned to his voice.

"Right here."  Gojou's hand went to the back of Hakkai's neck where a dark mark lay across.  Automatically, he wet his finger with his tongue and rubbed the spot.  "Mm?  It's not coming off."  

"Well, surprise, surprise."  Sanzou lifted his washcloth to where Gojou's hand had been.  "Your spit isn't the end all be all of soap."  

"Ah, bite me, Bouzu."  Gojou looked back at the spot.  "See, it ain't coming off for you neither."  

"What is it-"  Hakkai lifted his hand to the back of his neck.  "Oh…"

"Oh…what?"  Gojou asked.

"That's not dirt.  That's a scar."  

"From what?" Gojou peered at it again.  "I've seen you naked before.  I've never seen that one."  Gojou couldn't tell if Hakkai was blushing after he said that or if it was just he heat from the bath.  All three of them were a good shade of pink.   

"I think that one is from…"  Hakkai took a moment to think.  "Shien.  His whips.  Even with my shield, one broke through once.  That's the mark it left."

Gojou felt the dark patch with his finger.  The skin wasn't scabbed over, but smooth.  "Yeah, I guess we got a lot of scars from them."  

"We were pretty lucky though, weren't we?"  Hakkai laughed low.  "To only get a few scars from all of them."  He sighed.  "They lost a lot more."

"They were ready to die for what they wanted."  Sanzou stated simply.  "And Homura's wish was to die.  Don't start regretting others getting what they wanted."  

"I don't regret."  Hakkai looked down at the water and his feet shimmering beneath the surface.  

Silence fell between them.  Gojou finally cleared his throat and looked over to Sanzou.  "You got a hefty one, right, Bouzu?  From Homura."  

Sanzou sat quiet for moment, and then he shifted slightly in the water.  He pointed to a scattering of thin, white lines across his chest.  "Impact of his sword here and here."  He fingered the lines, lightly following them down to right below his chest.  

"Oh, yeah, check this one out."  Gojou lifted his leg.  "Bullet grazing by Zenon.  Not bad, eh?"

"I remember that one."  Hakkai touched the mark lightly.  "It looked a lot messier than it was."

"Hey, I'm a messy guy.  What can I say?"  Gojou grinned and shrugged.  

"Understatement of the century."  Sanzou countered.

"And this one was…"  Hakkai hand touched Gojou's chest, right above his heart.  "That one was…oh…"  He face darkened slightly.

"Chin Isou's fucking doll."  Gojou's touched the spot.  "Little love mark from the toy man."  

Sanzou eyed Hakkai warily.  "I see some scars never heal."  

"Oh, I'm fine."  Hakkai dismissed the look, "It's just…"

Sanzou and Gojou both looked at him, waiting.  

"It's just…all our past ghosts leave scars, even when they're long gone.  Sometimes the ones they leave under the skin hurt the longest."  Hakkai tried smiling again, but faltered, and stopped.  "I feel like my scars are open to you all.  After that, and after this."  His hand went to his right eye and touched it gently.  "Even the ones underneath my skin, I feel like others can see."  

They sat there silent in the bath.  Gojou finally broke it.  

"You wanna trade?"

"What?"  Hakkai brought his hand down from his eye and turned.

"Trade.  Trade scars.  You wanna trade?"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"  Sanzou looked over Hakkai's shoulder.  

Gojou just pointed at him.  "I'll show you."  He stood and rose his leg up, placing his foot on the side of the bath.  "See this?"  He pointed to the thin red line on the inner side of his thigh.  

Hakkai was looking.  Sanzou was giving him a sideways glance.   Gojou, never shy, flexed his leg in the light.  

"I've seen that one before."  Hakkai said.  "But what is it from?"

"My mom." 

Sanzou was looking at him fully now.  "Your mother gave you that?"

"Yep."  Gojou brought his finger to the line and slid it across.  "I dropped a plate while washing dishes.  She lost it a lot on me, but that day she really did.   Took one of the pieces and…" He made a motion down on his leg with his hand.  "I think she was going to punish me more, but Jien came in, and stopped her."  Gojou's look turned far-away.  "He took her to the other room to calm down, but he helped me up before he left, and gave me a rag and told me to hold it there and that he'd come back to help.  It took awhile but he did.  He came back."  He bit his lip and looked down at his leg.  With his story over, Gojou slid back under the water.  

"Gojou…"  Hakkai trailed off.  

"S'okay.  She was pretty crazy, my mom."  Gojou stared at the water before him.  "I got a few others from her, but that one really stuck.  She was so…"  He shook his head. "Mad at me.  I said I was sorry and all.  Tried picking the pieces up, but she was just…always…so mad."  

Hakkai placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.  Gojou looked back at him.  "See?  Wanna trade?  My leg for your eye?"  

Hakkai gave a low chuckle.  "There's an idea." 

"Or maybe Bouzu has a better offer?"  Gojou looked over, one eyebrow raised.  "Whaddya say, Sanzou?  Can you outbid me and my crazy mom and the killer plate?"

Sanzou replied only with silence.  He stared straight off, not acknowledging that he heard.  

Hakkai looked from the monk to Gojou, giving a small smile.  "It's okay, Gojou.  Your trade will be plenty for everyone-"  But then Sanzou cut him off.

"This."  Sanzou fingered the dot on his forehead.  

"That's not a scar."  Gojou pointed out.  "That's your ole' Sanzou mark.  Doesn't count."

Sanzou shot him a glare and then continued.  "My…my teacher, the one who was Sanzou to me, died protecting me one night.  From that, I have this."  He tapped his forehead.

Hakkai waited a beat, letting it sink in.  "And that's how…you became Genjo Sanzou?"

Gojou whistled.  "That's a hefty requirement."  He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.  "I don't know why everyone would want to run up to be one if someone's gotta off themselves to do it."  He then sucked in his breath, "Ah, wari, Sanzou.  I didn't mean…I mean…sorry to hear…about your teacher and all." 

Sanzou kept staring off.  "It's not a requirement.  To die.  He passed it on to me right before it happened.  He died because they wanted it, the youkai.  But they killed the wrong person."

Hakkai opened his mouth to say something, but Gojou's voice came out first.  "That's not what yer teacher thought, or else he would have done what most people do, and stood back and saved himself."  Gojou's fingers made small circles in the water.  "Like ya said before, don't go regretting when others get what they wanted.  He wanted you to live.  Do you regret that?"

"Sometimes."  Sanzou turned from the wall to him.  "Sometimes I do."

"Then why you keep goin'?"  Gojou waved towards the mark on his forehead.  "If you regret it, why you keeping being Sanzou-sama then?"

"Because…"  Sanzou drew out a breath slowly, and then looked over at Hakkai. "Because that would be listening to the easy part."

"The what?"  Gojou asked.  Hakkai sat silently and looked back at Sanzou.

"The easy part.  The part in you that says, "Do this.  It's so easy.  Do it."  The part that you know is wrong, but because it seems easier, you want to believe its right."  Even in the steam, Sanzou's eyes shone clear.  "Because there's another part that always seems to win out over the easy part.  It's the part of you that says, this might be harder, but it's right.  It's the way it's supposed to be."

"What happens if the easy part wins one day?"  Hakkai kept his eyes on him.  "What do you do then?"  

Sanzou didn't miss a beat.  "Then I shoot it in both legs and kick its ass until the other part wins."

"Ahhh…"  Hakkai leaned back, smiling.  "That could work."

"Sounds pretty fucking painful though."  Gojou snorted.  "Leg wounds fucking hurt."  

"Oh, does baby kappa have a scratchy-watchy?"  Sanzou flicked water over at him.  

Gojou flicked right back, "Yeah.  Just don't tell mommy.  I wouldn't want her to kiss and make it better."  

Hakkai turned from one to the other, tense for a second that a fight would break out, but was relieved to see that both were laughing- Gojou with his wide grin, Sanzou's with his slight smile, half covered with his hand.  He rose his hands up and spread a wall of water out that slapped both sides. 

"Hey, you're supposed to be the ref!"  Gojou splashed him back.  

"Che- It's always the quiet ones that do the worst damage."  Sanzou held his cloth over Hakkai's head and wrung it out, letting the water stream down.

Hakkai covered his eyes.  "You're beating up a half-blind man!"

"Oh ho- I knew he'd bring that card up someday."  Gojou glanced over at Sanzou.  "Whaddya say, monk.  Should we let him live?"

"Fuck no.  Dunk his half-blind ass."

Both turned towards the middle of the bath, but Hakkai, laughing, was already climbing out.  "My my, I think I'm clean enough."  He dodged Gojou's reaching hand and ducked when Sanzou threw his balled up cloth at him.  Still laughing, he backed up towards the door.  The last step to freedom became his loss though when he slipped on the tiles, and with cry of surprise, fell to the floor.  

Rubbing his side, he looked up to see both Gojou and Sanzou hanging out of the tub, watching him.  

"Oi, Hakkai, daijoubu ka?" Gojou started to get out.

"Heiki, Heiki.  Just…"  Hakkai looked at the ground and then found the cause of his fall.  "Just look out for the soap."  

------

Finally, getting dressed, all three made their way back towards their rooms, when Gojou suddenly stopped.

"Gojou, what is it?"  Hakkai asked, turning around.

"Nothin'.  Just-"  Gojou scratched his head.  He had pulled his hair back into a pony-tail.  "The kitchen is still open, right?  I think I'll go get a bite to eat before bed."

Sanzou nodded.  "I'll go with you.  A beer is always nice after a bath."

Gojou grinned.  "Now, that is a fine idea, monk.  You wanna come, Hakkai?"

Hakkai smiled.  "Sure."  He looked back down the hall.  "I think I'll get Goku up though.  He probably won't be as antsy in the morning if he gets something to eat now."

Sanzou frowned.  "Antsy's not the word."

"Point."  Gojou nodded.  "Besides, Saru's starving _while_ he's eating.  He'll never be full."  

"Maybe I should just let him sleep then."  Hakkai turned back to them.

Sanzou paused and then spoke.  "Tell him to hurry up.  The innkeeper mentioned the kitchen closed at 11pm.  If he wants a full meal, he won't have much time, and I don't want to hear his whining."

"Understood."  Hakkai nodded and walked down the hall towards Gojou's and Goku's room.  He could still hear Sanzo and Gojou talking as they walked downstairs.  

"Damn, I think I got water in my ear…"  

"Water in the brain, ero-gappa."  

"Oooooohhhhh…there's an idea.  I didn't check out the maids when we got in.  Were any cute?"

"Why do you think I'd notice these things?"

"Ah, so monks don't have balls…I thought you were hidin' something back there."

"For that, you're buying your own beer."

"Oi, Sanzou!  Joke, joke!  Oi!"

Their voices trailed off.  Hakkai smiled.  That was their language.  Underneath everything- the scars, the anger, the regret- after that was all cleaned away, they still had themselves and that was alright.  Not always easy, but alright and he guessed, that is the way it's supposed to be.    

 Owari ^^ 


End file.
